To Each Their Own Path
by ChaoticPsyche
Summary: After the battle with Pein, Naruto has some things to think about. One-shot.


A/N: I know that I still have to write/finish my chapter for A Second Chance, however this hit me and it should only be a one shot. However, there will be no pairings since I will not be writing a full length story. I'm hoping that this will turn out alright, since it has been a while since I've written any one shot. Though Hinata will still love Naruto as is shown.

'thinking'

"talking"

"**Demon talking**"

"JUSTU!"

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, though I wish I did sometimes, or at least that I could myself perform the shadow clone jutsu, so that I could take a day off of work or 4 and still get paid! Cause that would be so awesome.

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It had been a long battle with the six paths of pein. Each one though different was still just as dangerous as the last. However, he had come out victorious and now even the civilians were cheering him on as he slowly made his way back to what was left of the once great village of the hidden leaves. This was what he wanted all his life, wasn't it? If so then why wasn't he happy that he had finally changed their minds about him, why was he not happy to be accepted by them when it was what he fought for, for so long?

At first Naruto didn't understand why the village hated him so much, the derogatory comments, the beatings and more. His whole life was painful and he could understand where Pein had come from when he said those things. Though he still believed that he could change the world for the better and not let fear be the cause of peace, to him that didn't make sense fear used to create peace was not peace.

However, he still had changed the mind of the rinnengan user and Pein had used his powers to bring back everyone in the village from death. However, still Naruto was not happy as people came up and patted him on the back, congratulating him on a job well done, but he just kept on walking through the crowd. There was only one goal in mind, and that was to make it to Tsunade-baachan. Behind him though were a mix of emotions ranging from confusion to his lack of acknowledgement from them to slight anger that he would ignore them.

After all, were they not congratulating him, he should be happy that they finally acknowledged him. However, they never noticed that he kept his head down and shuffled through the gathering of people. Never looking up at them, these people who tormented him through his life, and these people who scorned him and called him demon they thought that he owed them something still. Even after all the beatings and near deaths at their hands, they still wanted something from him.

Naruto walked through them, not forcefully but through them almost like a shadow, though he was still congratulated leaving civilians and ninja alike confused at his morose attitude. Soon he made it to the end of the crowd and there stood the one person who could always help him when he was down. She was the closest thing to family that he had and he relished the time he could spend with her, even if they did annoy each other to an extent of almost fighting.

"Naruto, you did it! You saved the village; you have completed one of your goals. I am proud of you gaki." The blonde bombshell of a Hokage told him as she hugged him, and yet she could still feel the sadness rolling off of him in waves. Slowly she released him, and grabbed his shoulder to lead him away, away from the prying eyes of citizens, away from the tormentors of the past.

Pushing the flap to her command post out of the way, she sat Naruto in a chair and then took the one directly beside him. So far he hadn't responded to the crowds outside, nor to her hug either. It was strange for him to be so quiet for so long, so strange in fact that she feared the worst. "Naruto, if something is wrong, tell me and I will help you. I cannot help you if I don't know what is wrong." Tsunade said, her voice quiet and gentle, just like Hinata's when she spoke to him.

"Baachan, I finally got their approval, but at what cost? Yes they are alive, and yes I protected them but now they see the actions and not the person. I wanted to be acknowledged yes, for not only my actions but for myself. I don't think I've done that. These people, these citizens of Konohagakure while I will always protect them, to them I am now just another copy of Yondaime in the fact that I can save them. However, all of this came at a cost. The man who attacked, with his six paths of pein was like me in a way, but different.

"We both studied under ero-sennin, and we both contain something powerful. Him the rinnengan and me the kyuubi but while there are a couple more similarities what would have happened if I turned into him? Baachan, I don't want to fight anymore. I may only be in my late teens but I feel old, older than I should. The weight of deaths that I have caused or those that I have killed weighs me down." Naruto said, still not looking at Tsunade. If he had he would have seen the widening of her eyes and the shock that marred her face.

"This is the path of a shinobi, this is the path that you chose, and if you were to run they would still haunt you Naruto-kun. They would still be there weighing you down, always there. However, I think you are mistaken, out there those citizens of this village that hated you, that scorned you and mistreated you see you. Not the Yondaime, not the kyuubi, but you and only you." Tsunade said as she laid a hand down on the despondent boy's shoulders. She had ignored the sound of the tents flap moving showing that Shizune had entered to listen and possibly help.

"Ne, Naruto-kun, Tsunade-shishio is correct they see you now, they see that you are not what you carry or the person who sealed the kyuubi into you. Let them correct the wrongs in which they have created against you." Shizune said as she walked up behind the boy and gave him a hug. "They see you Uzumaki Naruto, the blonde hyperactive boy who loves pranks and ramen, who loves to make people laugh and believe again."

Naruto's head quirked a bit at what Shizune had said. Maybe, just maybe they were coming around. He just wished that it has been sooner and that so many people hadn't of died, even though they were brought back to life. Still they had died and he hadn't saved them from that experience. "I guess, still though it doesn't feel right. I had grown used to them not liking me; their hatred fueled my determination to prove them wrong. Now what do I do?" Naruto asked, he hadn't meant for it to sound derogatory but it was true. The more the village hated him the more he tried to prove them wrong. It had kept him sane, it had kept him safe.

"I don't know Naruto-kun but no matter what Tsunade, your friends and I will stand behind whatever decision you make. Naruto-kun, people care for you, they will protect you just as you will protect them." Shizune said as she hugged him a bit tighter.

"Ah." Naruto sighed out. It was different than it used to be, no one showed him much attention unless he played a prank on them. Though negative it was still attention, and now that he had people who cared for him he was still unused to the feeling of being cared for. "I need to think for a while. I'll be back" and with those words he slowly disentangled Shizune from him and walked out of the tent, the citizens of his precious village had left to see what they could salvage from the destroyed village. He turned and sped off not noticing a few of his friends that were worried over him.

"Tch, troublesome blonde, I wanted to talk to him." One lazy genius said as he slowly turned and walked away to help his family see what was left of his clan home.

The rest sighed as they watched him go; knowing that now was not the best time to talk to their blonde friend who seemed to be troubled. It made them wonder what was wrong though no one was stupid enough to ask the Hokage and her student. Soon they too separated to see what they could find in the rubble that was left until only one remained. A shy and quiet girl with long indigo hair with white pupiless eyes that had a hint of lavender in them was the only one left watching as he made his way to the top of the Hokage monument to sit upon the Yondaime's head.

-(scene)-

"What if I had turned out like Pein or Gaara if I had not found someone who cared? Would I have tried so hard to garner their attention like I had, or would I have killed them all? To think that what they hated me for, tried to kill me for, saved them." Naruto said aloud to no one, and he had not expected an answer, however one was given to him anyway.

"I doubt you would have turned into them Naruto, you were never one to hold onto negativity no matter how much was directed at you. You are you, and kyuubi is kyuubi do not let the ignorance of other cloud who you are Naruto. If you did you might start to brood, and that would be a bit awkward considering." A male voice sounded from behind Naruto startling him from his reverie.

Turning around Naruto stared at the first person who cared for him besides the Sandaime. The first person whom he would go to for advice and for ramen on days when he knew that the Sandaime was to encompassed in work to entertain him. "Ne, Iruka-sensei before I met you I was on the path to turn into them. I had no one; everyone hated me it was only a matter of time that is until you came along and helped me. Sure, jiji was there but he was busy and I couldn't bother him all the time for small things like someone to talk to. Ichiraku's was there to but they were civilians and couldn't have helped me as much as they wanted to." Naruto said once again looking out over the now destroyed village.

"Have you ever wondered what would have happened if you had not had the kyuubi sealed inside you Naruto-kun?" Iruka asked as he came to sit beside his favorite blonde. "While I am sure you have, there are things that I wonder about that. Would you be as loved by those few precious people as you are or would you have turned out like the other civilians?"

Naruto couldn't answer that question, how could he? While he had always thought of what it would be like to have a normal life it was weird that he could never imagine it. Oh he did try and try but never would he be able to know if what he imagined would be like if it was actually true. So he stayed silent and hoped that was enough of an answer to his former sensei.

"Ah, I see you have tried to imagine, but since you aren't sure you cannot answer." At this Naruto's head snapped back to Iruka to see the mirth on his face, "I know you Naruto, it isn't hard to figure you out." He said.

"Well I'm not a Hyuuga so I am easier to read, but I didn't think anyone could figure me out so thoroughly." Naruto replied, and in all honesty he hadn't. He had known Iruka since he was seven and it still amazed him at well the older chuunin could read him like an open book.

"Yes that is correct, you aren't one of the Hyuuga, nor are you Gaara or Pein, you are you Naruto. The Naruto I know would never wonder what would have happened and instead would push through impossible obstacles to see what can and would be. You have a great gift and a burden in which you need to balance. However, never forget that you are Uzumaki Naruto and you can do the impossible." Iruka said with a smile on his face as he stood up and walked away to leave his favorite student alone so he could think. 'Maybe, just maybe he'll realize just how precious he is to us.'

As he sat there looking over the village but not really seeing it thoughts tumbled through his mind, each one more complicated than the last. No one would have thought that someone so hyperactive could sit still so long and be so quiet. They were not used to it and were not sure that they could get accustomed to it, at least not from him. Eventually night fell and Naruto lay down on top of the Yondaime's head and watched the stars come out above him. His eyes grew heavy and soon he was asleep watched over by those who cared and worried about him.

The End

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A/N: I was going to keep writing more to this, but that seemed like a good place to end it. Remember that this was a one shot; however, if someone would like to continue on from here and make it into a full-fledged story then by all means please do, I just ask one thing. Please ask me before doing so; I would like to see how the story turns out.


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